Mechanism for drawing wire



July 11, 1944. E. J. MOILVRIED 2,353,576

MECHANISM FOR DRAWING WIRE Filed Aug. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet-l I INVENTOR.

I 1 I (Tc/W1?! cf/Wf/V/ld v 0 4% 6 d W ATTORNEY,

y 4- E. J. McILVRlED 2,353,576

' MECHANISM FOR DRAWING WIRE Filed Aug; 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvsmon BY (IE/101' (317/7 /fz/rza ATTORNEY),

Patented July 11, 1944 v a I a assure V uacnamsuroanaawmowms sswmamnmamaommimtcns Oayahogalalls.

.. Vaughn Haehin r Comm. Ohio, a corporation of Ohio amuse aw s, im, Se! Ne. 94.

i :4 Claims. (a. sec-1s) Within the past few years wire drawing proccases and machines have been greatly improved so that much higher drawing speeds are now attainable than formerly. Most wire drawing machines after processing the wire through the various drawing dies cell the wire on a rotating drum commonly known as a block. The coil thatforms on such block is somewhat loose, but a at slow speeds remains reasonably compact and can easily be removed and tied up after the drawing opera- 10 tion is completed. However, at high speeds the centrifugal force acting on the componentstrands of the coil causes individual strands to fly outwardly and by thus extending unduly from the periphery of the-block," they become entangled 15 with other strands, so that the result is a tangled and unsightly coiled bundle. Such extended or projecting strands, furthermore, constitute a serious hazard from a safety standpoint.

One object ofthe present improved process and so mechanism for drawing wire, accordingly, is toprovide means whereby the drawingspeed can be increased as desired and permitted by modern drawing practice, while at the same time overcoming or avoiding the detrimental conditions as Just referred to. To this end I provide a relatively stationar instead of a rotating drum or block, upon which the wire as drawn is laid and there accumulated'into a coil or bundle. Another im-V causes the resulting coilto be what is knownas wild, that is, the individual coils or strands. are

' exceedingly. 8911 87 and difficult to handle both in the blmdle and in the further-processing of the wire. By the present improvements, however, I avoid the diiiiculty just noted by locating the drawing die on the ilyer and adjacent to'the stationary block, so that while the nature or the prooess'is such that a twist occur's'in the wire for every turn of the block, such twist occurs before the final passage of the wire through the die and the resultant cold working of the metal by the latter removes the effect of the twist.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the'invention. then, consists of the steps and means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constitut inghowever, butone or various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be In said annexed drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an individually motor driven self-contained unit desi ned for vdrawing wire in accordance with'my present improved.

process; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of such \mit taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-1,

portant feature of the invention'is that it per-,- so Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is abrok'en transverse section of the mits such accumulated coil of wire to be removed from the machine without stoppin the latter or,

interfering with the continuity of the wire drawing process. This increases the capacity or output of the machine since there is nolost time 00-, 9

casioned by. stopping it to remove coils of wire. Furthermore, the nature of the present improved process is-such that'breakage of the wire and other troubles, which at present cause frequent stoppage of the machine, are largely eliminated, 4o while at the same time a much heavier bundle may be accumulated than inthe present rotating block. I a

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to utilize a stationary block in a wire draw- 46 method, however, of drawing and laying the 60 wire on. the block necessarily produces a twist in-the wire after leaving the die. In other words, there will be one complete twist or turn torsionally of .the wire for each turn,

around the stationary block and such twist to witha plurality of longitudinal strippin slots ii same taken on the plane indicated by the lines 1 3-.4 on Pigs! and 2; and Fig. 4 shows-a modiil cation in one of the detail features.

In the wire drawing unit illustrated in the several figures of the drawing the shaft or spindle i which constitutes the central axis about which certain parts, as presently described, are caused to rotate, is :shown as vertically arranged. It will be understood. however, that, if preferred,

such'shaft may Just as well be disposed horironu tally;

mm 8 of the machine andis atan intermediate point by a bearing l in such frame. the upper end of the shaft proiectingthereabove and having a pair 01' spaced bearings I and t, whereby a the drawing block is Journalled on such-upper I shaft end. V

As shown, the block is of usual 81 8M tap including the extension. is rurthermore formed Said; shaft i is suitably supported at its'lower f end in a step bearing 2 in the hollow frame strucextending downwardiy from its upper edge to a point near its base, the upper portion I! of such slots being preferably of V-shape, as shown in Pig. 1. In this figure it willbe noted that only one slot Ii is illustrated and that its location is arbitrarily assumed. I

Rotatably mounted in a bracket II fixed to and rising from one side of the main frame 3 of the machine isa transverse shaft it that at its inner end carries twosymmetrically spaced sector shaped arms H. The latter are so disposed as to be adapted, upon rotation of shaft I6, successively to engage a special locking slot or recess H formed in the block between two adjacent stripping slots Ii, the efi'ect of such engagement being to hold the block stationary, i. e., prevent rotation thereof on its support formed by bearings I and I. Suitably iournalled in the bracket ll below the shaft I! is a handled crank i8 con- I nected with said shaft by reducing gearing It so that the sector on the inner end of the shaft maybe swung or rotated in a vertical plane.

. 'Keyed to the rotating spindle I, immediately below the base of the block 1, is a circular plate.

or disk formed with a depending flange 2| that islaterally enclosed by an upstanding flange 21 on the machine'frarne. The disk 20, which rotates conjointly with the spindle I, carries a suitable die block 23 (see Fig. 3) mounted so as to lie tangentially with respect to the periphery of the block Likewise carried. by said disk adjacent the dieis a sheave 24 disposed to rotate intheplaneofthedisksoastopasstosuch die a wire received from a second sheave 25 which is rotatably attached to the spindle immediately below the'disk about a horizontal axis.

v Sheave 24, as shown in Figs. 2 and3, is mounted in the supporting disk or ilyer member so as to be angularly self-adjusting relatively to the plane of thelatter. If desired, however, acorresponding sheave a, but mounted at a fixed angle to properly receive and guide the wireto the die, may be used. as shown in Fig. 4. g

The spindle I is formed with'a longitudinal bore 2| extending from its lower end to the periphe of the sheave 2i which,as clearly shown in Pig. 3, is partially inset in a, suitable recess I'I formed in the spindle, and adjacent the lower end of said spindle is a third sheave 2| suitably iournalled about a transverse axis in the base of the machine with its one side. aligned with the bone 2! in the spindle. The sheave 2| is suitably enclosed and leading'to the outer side thereof is a wire guide 2!. The hollow rotating spindle, together with the diskll and the die 23 and sheave 24 carried thereby, also together with the sheave 2| directly supported on said spindle, is

driven at any desired speed by suitable gearing II from a motor II or other source oi'power.

In operation the strand W of wire as it comes from a previous wire drawing stage or from a reel may, if'desired. first be'passed through a suitable tensioning and speed synchronizing device (not shown). Such strand then is entered through the guide 2! around the 'sheave 2! in the base of the machines From thelatter such wire passes upwardly through the hollow spindle I over. sheaves 2| and II inthe order named to the die I! and finally onto the block 1. Such block being held stationary by engagement of one of the sectors I! therewith and the end of the wire being suitably secured to such-block, the eifect of rotating the spindle so as to move the die It in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Pig. 3, willbetodraw the wire over the sheaves .75

through such die and lay it on the periphery of the block. The successive convolutions formed onthe latter force the coil gradually upwardly from the base of the block onto the extension 8, and when a sufllcient coil or bundle has accumulated, this may be removed in the following manner. The operator will lower a stripping spider into the slots Ii in the block so as to engage only that portion of the coil that has accumulated above the base, leaving a number of convolutions still wrapped around the latter. The stripping spider is then raised so as to lift the portion of-Vthe coil engaged thereby and simultaneously the operator will rotate the shaft ll so as to disengage the upper of the two sectors from the slot, wherewith it normally engages, thus clearing the way for the removal of the coil that is being stripped. However, before such upper sector releases the block, the other sector will engage the lower portion of the same slot. The manner in which the sectors thus operate will be readily understood upon referring to Fig. 1, where they are shown in their normal positions in full lines and the intermediate positions,'such as occupied incidentally to removal of the coil. in dotted outline.

From the foregoing description of the construction and operation of my improved wire drawing mechanism, it will be obvious that the wire passes directly from the die onto the stationary block without any torsional twist whatever being imparted thereto. Such twisting asis occasioned by bringing the wire to the die through the hollow spindle and over the sheaveswill, of course, be

7 removed by the drawing operation. The only rotating parts to the machine are the spindle with the circular plate or disk that carries the die and the last guide sheave 24. The only limitations, accordingly, on the speed are in. effect those imposed by the tensile strength of the wire and the wearing resistance of the die. The successive convolutions of the coil are laid closely on the stationary block, and as they are forced upwardly onto the portion of the block which is of reduced diameter, such convolutions nest together without tendency to fly oil and become entangled with each other. As a result, a compact, uniform bundie is obtained. even when built up to much greater weight than is possible with the usual drawing method, and as previously noted, such bundle may be removed without interrupting operation of the machine.

Other modes of applying the principle 01' my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

'1. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a normally stationary block, a carrier rotatable about the axis of said block, a die on said carrier adapted upon rotation of the latter to lay the drawn wire on said block, and guide means adapted to lead a wire coaxially of said carrier and thence to said die, said guide means including two sheaves mounted on said carrier, one having its axis substantially'parallel to but spaced from and the other having its axis transverse of and closely adjacent to the axis of :said block.

2. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a normally stationary block, a rotatable spindle coaxial with said block, and a die carried by said spindle disposed on a line substantially tangential to the periphery of said blooh no adapted upon rotation 0! said carrier to lay the drawn wire on said block. said spindle being formed with a central bore leading from one end thereof to a point approximately in the plane or said die, two sheaves carried by said spindle, one having its axis substantially parallel to but spaced irom and the other having its axis transverse o! and closely adJacent to the axis of said spindle.

3. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a normally stationary block formed with a longitudinally extending groove, a member rotatable about an axis transverse to that 01 said block and having arms adapted successively to engage such groove. a carrier rotatable about the axis otsaidbioohandadieonsaidoarrieradapted upon rotation of the latter to lay the drawn wire on said block.

I 4. In wire drawing mechanism. the combination 0! a normally stationary block iormedr with a longitudinally extending groove, a member rotatable about an axis transverse to that of said block and having arms in the form of spaced sectors adaptlo ed successively to engage such groove, a carrier rotatable about the axis of said block, and a die on said carrier adapted upon rotation of the lattertolaythedrawnwireonsaidblock.

. EDWIN J. MclLVRmD. 

